Tender Greens — Restaurant in San Diego

I love tender greens. I used to work very close to here and I've been countless times. One thing you can rely on is the quality of ingredients; one thing you can't rely on is the preparation which is why I give them four stars.

All of the ingredients are top notch, locally-sourced, organic and delicious. I love getting a salad or a hot plate and adding whatever kind of meat or fish I feel like that day. It's my go to for a good salad or meat that I can feel good about eating; I'm confident there are no hormones or unnecessary fillers in this meat. They also have delicious mash potatoes that come with your hot plate (you might have to ask special for this). And if you get a chance to try their cookies. MMmmm, they really are homemade cookies and you probably only ever have that kind of quality when your baking-savvy friends or family make it for you.

I wish they employed a few people who really love to cook. The people I see there are mostly young high school or college kids. I'm not complaining about them, I'm just wishing for someone who prepared food with a little more love and attention. Here are the reasons:

If I ask for a chopped salad its because I want to fit the pieces in my mouth without having to do more of the prep work myself. Pieces of lettuce are consistently half the size of my palm or bigger! I still have to chop and fold my way through this salad and if I want to sustain eye contact with my lunch partner it makes this task quite time consuming (which on a short lunch break is a pain.. and hey, don't you have a rush!).

Sometimes there is not a good mix of one particular ingredient. Most noticeable to me is when a romaine-based salad is mostly romaine hearts and none of the darker green leaves. Is this a thing? Do people prefer hearts? (seriously, I would like to know..) I feel like I'm missing something when this happens and I never say anything because I feel like its a really nit-picky thing to do. But I like the whole romaine and I want a variety! Same thing with the mixed vegetables on the hot plate. More than once I've felt a little slighted because I didn't get at least one of each vegetable on display.

If the place is really slow, the work ethic matches the pace! Instead of getting right on it, I've seen the young men and women continue their banter at the expense of paying attention and prompting preparing the meal I ordered. I'm not saying it needs to be faster, just put the personal stuff on hold in front of customers and do work til its done and then continue. Hey, I'm not against the staff getting on well with each other, that's nice! Just prioritize, please.

I think the quality of service should match the quality of food. The food is top-notch. It is also pretty inexpensive for the quality so maybe I should be thankful for the (cheap?) labor. I just wish the beautiful food were prepared with...

A great place to eat clean and healthy, semi-affordable prices. We returned to eat here last night, and received THE BEST service ever. When we got to the front of the line to place our order, we explained that one of our party had several food allergies, and we offered to let others in the line go around us while we figured out what could be ordered to accommodate the allergies. They told us not to worry about the line and gave us individual attention and listened to our needs. The chef, David, personally came to talk with us and took the allergies seriously. He personally prepared a custom dish for the person with allergies. It was one of the best meals the person with allergies ever tasted. Another member of our party agreed about his meal, which was a straight from the menu order. Definitely 5 stars.

Be forewarned—this is a cashless establishment, so bring your debit or credit cards. Not sure if e-pay options are available. Also this restaurant is eco-friendly—paper straws are used. Clean bathrooms.

Sign up for their app and you'll get discounts and earn rewards. Also, free Wi-Fi access.

Added: the inside of the restaurant can get very noisy, so loud you can't hear each other. I recommend eating on their patio.

Several years ago we held our daughter's wedding luncheon here. The manager worked with me to set of a fixed menu worked out ahead of time for the 40+ guests. He arranged outdoor seating. And he accommodated food allergies and picky eaters. It was a...

The idea and menu here are amazing. In reality, we’ve given it two chances and both experiences were underwhelming. The first time, we went for the salt and pepper chicken, waited for close to 40 minutes in line (the person taking the orders was new and was very confused and had no help). I ordered the salt and pepper chicken and he told me they didn’t have any, and that I’d have to order the fried chicken. I told him there was raw chicken on the grill, and he said it was “already marinated” to be fried. The second visit, we asked if they had the salt and pepper chicken today, and the “chef” said “of course - we have everything on our menu”. My aunt ordered the salt and pepper chicken, and I ordered the charcuterie board. The board was put together in a haphazard manner and didn’t have a fraction of the ingredients listed on their menu. When I asked for the other items, I was not given an explanation nor did they bring the missing items. Instead, I was offered a bowl of blackberries (not even a board item) as a substitution for all the missing items. Like I said: great place in theory, but what you see is not what you get… Salumi Board: $30 for some kind of weird cooked sausage, some salami, a huge pile of sunflower seeds with spices, 3 tiny slivers of peaches, a strange mix of (maybe) plain yogurt with chives, a gajillion cornichons. No cheese, no bread, no grapes (all listed...